Separating and extracting apparatus



Patented Sept. 4, 1934 UNITED ,STATES SEPARA'J-IlxGf AND EXTRACTING APPARATUS Harry B. Ross, Denver, Colo.

Application `lanuary 9, 1933, Serial No. 656,841

2 Claims.V (Cl. 209-185) This invention relates to classifying, separating.

and extractinCv apparatus and has as an object the provision of an improved unitary apparatus operable to divide an admixture of comminuted 5 ingredients normally insoluble in water into groups marked by a difference in specific gravities.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary apparatus particularly adapted to separate gold and other heavy metals from sands and ore pulps.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary apparatus operable in combination with a precipitating agent to separate certain solutions of gold and other heavy metals from sands and ore pulps.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary apparatus susceptible of rapid and eflicient operation as an amalgamator for the extraction of gold from sands and ore pulps.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary apparatus operable as a diaphragm to retain metals of specific gravities greater than those of gangues.

A further` object of the invention is to provide an improved unitary apparatus operable to indicate losses of heavy metals escaping from separatory apparatus of conventional type.

A further object of the invention is toprovide an improved classifying, separating and extracting apparatus which is simple and inexpensive of manufacture, installation and operation, rapid and emcient in operation, susceptible of inlinite variation in capacity, and adaptedfor use either independently or,Y in combination with other related apparatus. A

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my vclaims and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in whichn Figure lis a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention as arranged andv positioned for practical use. Figure 2 is a plain View of the showing of Figure l. Figure Bris a vertical `section taken axially ofv a slightly modied form of the arrangement shown in Figures l and 2. Figure 4 is a vertical section, on a reduced scale, taken axially of a further modified form of the invention.

The apparatus hereinafter described is particularly adapted for and eicient in the recovery of uncomoined gold and certain solutions of combined geld, from placer sands and ore pulps, and

its operation will be describedin connection with such specinc application, but it is to be under- Y stoodY that such application is in no sense limitative, since theprinciple whereon the apparatus operates adapts it for use as a classier, sepa- 6G rator and extractor in a number of otherwise unrelated ields.

In the extraction of uncombined gold from placer Sandaheav'y, black sands will frequently be encountered, which heavy sands act to destroy the efliciency ofconventional sluices, riiiles and amalgamating tables by retarding, and in someinstances preventing, the gravitational action on the gold particles which is the essential, principle of conventional processes. Furth-er, it is found that many placer sands, and some ore pulps,- carry gold particles so fine, of such shape and such soluble combination, that theydo not respond to gravitational attraction suificientlyfor` extraction by conventional processes, the buoyant surface tension effect of the liquid vehicle employed Vor the displacement by the bulkier heavy sands frequently resulting in so ineicient an extraction that conventional processes cannot be protably employed in treating sands and pulpe showing normally profitable assays. The instant invention 'has been designed to overcome the foregoing diiiiculties and, for reasons which will appear` hereinafter, can be employed to eiciently and economically extract the valuesv from all sands and' ore pulps carrying free gold and from most sands and ore pulps carrying soluble compounds of gold.V

In the constructio'nof theimproved apparatus as shown, the numeral 10 designates a receiver or bowl, preferably of inverted truste-conical' form, formed ofY any suitable material in any desiredj K manner, and preferabiy'provided with means, such as adjustable legs 11, whereby the receiver may be leveled relative toits supporting surface. 95 The bottom of the receiver may be plane, but is preferably formeell with` a concentric; upwardlyextending dome 12, the walls of which are spaced inwardly somewhat from the walls of the receiver 10 to form an annular trough in the lower por- 100 tion of vthe receiver.l A suction head 13, preferably frusto-conical in form and, formed withsmooth inner walls in any desired manner from anyv suitable material, has a diameter at its greater 'end sufficient to permit of the dome 12 being 105 telescopically received in spaced relation within the suction head 13, in the Ymanner shown in Figure 3, the suction head 13 being supported' in any suitable manner within and in concentric relation with the receiver 10 and preerably ar- 110 ranged for adjustable spacing of its lower margin relative to the iioor of the annular trough formed in said receiver, adjustable legs 14 carried by the suction head 13 in position to bear against the door of said annular trough being shown as one convenient means for leveling and adjusting the spacing of the suction head relative to the receiver. A suitable Vpipe 15 communicates Ywith and leads from the lesser end of the suction head 13 and is preferably provided with a suitable control valve 16, the pipe 15 being extended to oper-` Y ative connection with suitable suction-,generating means, such as a pump, jet, or siphon extension, whereby suction eifect may be applied to act through the open end of the suction head 13 within the receiver 10.

The material to be acted upon by the apparatus is screened, ground and/or otherwise treated to bring it to the desired degree of comminution and is mixed with an excess of water prior to its introduction into the apparatus, which introduction may be eifected in any suitable manner, it being desirable only that the feed to the receiver be relatively uniform and so arranged as to uniformlydistribute the material in the receiver. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a sluice or flume 17 may be provided to bring the material to the receiver, in which case it is 'desirable that the sluice or ume be arranged to discharge tangentially Within the receiver in order to maintain a cir` cular flow within the latter whereby a substantially uniform distribution of the material is had. n Figure 3 is shown a modified feeding arrange- Y ment in which a pipe 18 is illustrated as the discharge-end of the material-feeding means,which pipe 18 is positioned axially of the apparatus and arranged to effect its dischargecircumferentially of and against the lesser end of the suction head 13, the sloping walls of the latter maintaining a relatively uniform distribution of the material discharged thereon. In the modification according to Figure 4, a vertically-adjustable, annular baiiie 21 is arranged concentrically within the lreceiver 10 with its lower margin in slightly spaced relation vwith the inner sloping wall of said receiver, thus forming a V-shaped trough having a circumferential gravity outlet through which the material may be fed to the suction head 13, the material-feeding means 20 in this modification preferably discharging tangentially of the receiver and within the v-shaped trough where a circular flow is thus maintained to insure uniform feeding from the V-shaped trough, the adjustable feature of the baiiie 19'providing means for regulating the rate of feed beneath said baifle. It is of course obvious that. ribs may be formed on the outer surface of the head 13 to enhance the uniformity of material distribution, or that the entire head 13 may be mounted for rotation about its axis and arranged to be rotatively driven,` either by spiral vanes to be actedupon by incoming material flow or by an independent source off power, all such modiiications havingas yan object to maintain uniform distribution oi' material within the receiver and hence being properly comprised within the scope of the instant invention;

The apparatus assembled as shown and thus far described is complete and ready for operaupon suction is applied through the pipe 15 to the suction head 13 and acts to draw the liquid vehicle and certain of the lighter ingredients of the mixture from the receiver and through the pipe l5 for such discharge to other apparatus or such other disposal as may be desired, leaving the heavier ingredients of the mixture. in the annular trough of the apparatus, whence they may be salvaged through a suitable clean-out port 19 when a given run of the apparatus has been completed. The force of the suction eiect `may be varied to suit the material being treated,

it being obvious that a greater suction force will exhaust heavier particles than will a lesser such force. Also, the rate of exhaustion from the re ceiver may be controlled by the valve 16 and should be so adjusted relative to the inflow as to maintain an adequate depth of liquid and material over the'mouth of the suction head at4v all times.

When the apparatus is to be employed in extracting gold from placer sands and ore pulps, the material to be treated is prepared, mixed with an excess of water and introduced into the receiver as above described. Prior to operation of the apparatus, a quantity of mercury is placed in the annular trough of the receiver in amount sui`n` cient to sea-l the open mouth of the suction head, even when the suction force has raised the mercury level within said head and depressed the said level without said head, as indicated by the dotted lines in Figure 3. Withthe mercury trap formed as above described, the suction force is adjusted Vqua-te to draw through the mercury bath all sands,

including the particles heavy black sands, and all other save those of the metals having specific gravities greater than that of mercury. Large particles of gold will readily separate from the mixture and remain at the bottom of the annular trough, while the nner particles, by virtue ofthe long intimate Contact with the mercury while passing through the bath, will be rubbed free of any adverse film or coating and hence readily amalgamate and bel thus held in the bath, it being found in practice that few values escape the mercury trap when the apparatus is properly adjusted and operated. The depth of the mercury bath should be sufiicient to adequately seal .the mouth of the suction head at all times, thus holding the values in their travel through the bath in contact with the mercury for a relatively long time and preventing attrition of the mercury through distribution ofthe pulp over and through relatively large volumes of said mercury. The

tain sands or ores may carrytheir own Vprecir-Y tating agents ina natural statein which case the thorough, intimate mixing given the pulp in its-travel through the apparatus insures release of those values which might otherwise escape reicc covery. The apparatus may be operated until the mercury is substantially saturated with `gold values, when the operation may be halted to permit substitution of fresh mercury or removal of the value-bearing mercury for ultimate recovery of the values and replacement of the mercury,`

To prevent zones of lesser resistance wherealong some values might escape, it has been found advantageous in certain instances to provide those portions of the suction head and receiver with which the mercury bath is in contact with a suitably deposited mercury coating, thus insuring good contact between the mercury bath and the structural elements of the apparatus.

It is to be noted that a functional advantage deriving from the arrangement hereabove described is found in the complete exclusion of air from the mercury trap, which air, when permitted to pass through the trap, acts to flour the mercury at relatively low'pressures and also envelops particles of the values sought to be recovered, thereby enhancing the diiiiculty of their extraction. With the suction action described, air will not be drawn through the trap until all of the liquid has passed therethrough, while with pressure types of functionally similar apparatus the air is of necessity forced through the diaphragm with or in advance of the liquid vehicle employed.

In the modification of the apparatus shown in Figure 4, in addition to the features previously described, it is to be noted that the dome 12 has been replaced by a flatter, conical dome 12', the latter permitting the use of a greater volume of mercury and avoiding any constriction of passage as the mercury is elevated within the suction head. Also, the suction head 13 has been replaced by an equivalent 13', the latter being longer and more slowly tapered than the former and being provided with an extension 15 of the pipe 15 within the head and approaching the level of the mercury bath, a more effective suction being had in some instances with the modified construction shown. The pipe 15 is extended to connect'on with a preferably exible gravity Siphon 15, the flexible character of the latter permitting ready adjustment of the suction force acting within the head 13. To aid in establishing flow through the siphon, a valve or Valves 22 may be provided in the upper portion of the head 13' wherethrough air may enter the suction head.

Since many changes in the speciiic form, construction and arrangement of the elements shown and described maybe had without departing from the spirit of the invention, I Wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my inventionl. Apparatus operable to separate a comminuted mixture in a liquid medium into groups of ingredients marked by differences in specific gravties and comprising an inverted frusto-conical receiver having a base formed with anvupwardly-extended centraly portion cooperating with the side walls of the receiver to form a relatively narrow annular trough, a conical suction head formed with an open lower end adapted to loosely telescope over said upwardly-extended base portion and be received in said annularV trough, means for continuously feeding said mixture and medium to said receiver, a suction pipe communicating with said suction head and control means in said pipe whereby the suction effect acting through said head may be adjusted to mainta'n a depth o mixture and medium in said annular trough sufficient to close the mouth of said suction head.

2. Apparatus operable to extract gold from comminuted sands and ore pulps in a liquid medium and comprising an inverted frusto-conical receiver formed with a central dome rising from its base to define a relatively narrow annular trough, a frusto-concal suction head in loosely telescoping relation with said dome and opening into said trough, a mercury bath in said trough and sealing the mouth of said suction head to form a trap, means for continuously feeding material to be treated to said receiver, a suction pipe co inunicatng with said suction head and control means for said pipe whereby the suction effect acting through said suction head may be limited to act only on materials having specific gravities less than that of mercury.

HARRY B. ROSS. 

